Thursday, April 15, 2010

1. I cannot begin to measure how much I hate it when the home team loses the first game of the series someone in the media goes on and on about the so-called loss of home ice advantage (Glen Healy, I'm looking at you).

You know what? If the home team wins another game, they’ve got home ice advantage right back, yet none of the commentators ever seem to go on about that.

2. What is the nonsense about Canadians cheering for a Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup?

I can only conclude the media who go on about this have never visited Calgary, Edmonton or Toronto (and I presume anywhere that isn't Vancouver, Montreal or Ottawa). And if the Leafs were in it (don't laugh) I get the feeling the fine people from coast to coast wouldn't be pulling for the blue and white.

No Leafs fan I know wants to see Montreal or Ottawa win it all, never mind actively cheering for that to happen. I’d wager that nobody in Alberta can stand the thought of the Canucks finally winning their first Cup.

Yet this angle will be shovelled at us until every Canadian team has finally been eliminated, which I can only hope is all of 10 days away.

Thoughts About the Match-ups

The West

Kings v. Canucks: Cheering against the Canucks in this one. Have no affinity for the Kings, can’t name half their roster, but can’t stand the Canuckleheads.

Colorado v. San Jose: Is there a unit of measure for apathy?

Nashville v. Chicago: Just want to see some good hockey in this one. Be great to see if the Hawks can make a run before their team starts to get into serious cap trouble. Conversely, I'm a big fan of David Poile and like the work he's done in Nahsville. Be great to finally see him get some playoff success.

Detroit v. Phoenix: Meh. The snake has been thrown.

The East

Boston v. Buffalo: As much as I hate them in the regular season, it’s always nice to see a smaller market with passionate fans succeed so it's "Buffalo we're 4" - I’ll likely cheer against them next round.

Montreal v. Washington: I don’t know if there is a team, player, organization or terrorist group that I wouldn’t cheer for in a series against the Canadiens. I’ll go with the Caps in this one.

Ottawa v. Pittsburgh: The first game of this series looked more like game one of the pre-season than the playoffs. I’ve seen more intensity amongst the toddlers in the nap room at my daughter’s daycare (and better goaltending too). I’ll cheer for the Pens to put an end to hockey night in Kanata.

New Jersey v. Philadelphia: Meteor. Mid-air collision of team jets or bus (it’s only 95 miles from Newark to Philly) or maybe the Philadelphia police department can use another one of their bombs. The last one only burned down 60 homes.

- I get the 3 game advantage, I just don't understand why it's only a "storyline" if the away team wins game 1? It never seems to get mentioned after a game 2 victory and it's not an infographic that they update as the series goes along...

I would cheer for a Canadian team, just not Ottawa or Montreal. Yeah Canucks fans are like Habs fans minus the rioting, but it would be nice to not have to hear how long it's been since Canada had a Stanley Cup parade.

Yeah, I've never understood the "cheer for a Canadian team if you're a fan of another Canadian team that's not in the playoffs" concept either. In certain situations it can be OK (i.e. rooting for Edmonton over Carolina in '06), but mostly it's a tired, lazy argument made by people who either can't or won't think critically.

And your thoughts about the matchups have just the right amount of humour and bitterness. Nice work!

What a dilemma that would be for the refs. Traditionally, the Habs have always received favourable calls and preferential treatment, but would the refs be able to continue that kind of behaviour in this series, when their loved ones would be held hostage in an underground Afghan bunker?

You should do a repost on your playoff pics and why it did or didn't pan out as you thought it would. I would be interested to hear the Montreal/Washington one. However i think i can sum it up in one word...goaltending.